John O'Mahony

On Philip Clifford. . . "Scoring power is always going to be his main strength, both from play and also as a free-taker. Made some vital contributions in the second half against Kerry and especially in the semi-final against Mayo. He has a lethal left foot, but is perhaps slightly one-sided. Tall and strong, but probably won't get as much room as he did against Mayo. Young and yet confident enough to play a big role, although there is no rehearsal for an All-Ireland final. As captain, this should be a great test for him."

On Cormac Murphy. . . "Has been one of the big players for Meath this summer. Plenty of hunger and very experienced, he completes a full back line which is one of the strongest in the country. Has recovered well from injury and won't be overawed by the occasion. Will be keeping very tight to Clifford. So much of this duel will also depend on the supply from midfield and I expect that Meath will hold the slight sway there."

John O'Keeffe

On Philip Clifford. . . "Has been the most influential Cork forward to date, with obvious pace and excellent game-reading ability. Well capable of scoring long-range points and also a good opportunist close to goal. His confidence is very high and the role as captain will also be a big motivation. So far he has benefited from plenty of space which has allowed him to get the ball first, and while things will be tighter in this game, he is sure to contribute a few points at the very least."

On Cormac Murphy. . . "Will contest every ball very aggressively because he is a quick, tight and very competitive marker. More used to the pressures of Croke Park and I believe he will greatly limit the space and opportunity for Clifford. Has the pace to at least match him and perhaps the greater experience will come into effect also, but either way he will have a difficult time to completely close Clifford down."

In interviews with Ian O'Riordan